Sorting mechanism



Sept. 12, 1939. w. w. LASKER SORTING MEGHANISM 7 Shefs-Sheet 1 FiledJuly 30, 1956 FIG. I

INVENTOR -W. W. LASKER HIS AT'lDRNEY Sept. 12, 1939. w. w. LASKER'SORTING MECHANISM Filed July 30, 1956 7 SheetS-Sheet 2 FIG. 2

Sept. l2, 1939.

W. W. LASKER SORTING MECHANISM Filed July 30, 1936 '7 Sheets-Sheet 3IIIIIIIIIII W INVENTOR W. W. LASKER BY 29W Hl ATTORNEY Sept. 12, 1939.w. w. LASKER SORTING MECHANISM 7 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed July 30, 1936 FIG.3A

INVENTOR W.W. LASKER HIS ATTORNEY Sept. 12, 1939. w. w. LASKER2,172;755; V I

soiu'me" MECHANISM Filed July 30, 1936 7 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR W. W.LASKER BY Q64- HIS ATTORNEY Sept. 12, 1939; w.w. LASKIER' 2,172,755

SORTING MECHANISM";

Filed July so, 1956 7 Sheets-Sheet 7 FIGS INVENTOR W. W. LA SKE R BKQQMHIS ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 12, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFlCE soa'rmcMECHANISM William W. Lasker, Brooklyn, N. Y., assignor to Remington RandInc., Buffalo, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Application July .30,

4 Claims.

This invention relates to record card sorting machines and particularlyto improvements therein which have for their purpose the segregating ofall cards which are duplicates of the respective preceding cards.

A device such as that of the present invention is particularly useful inchecking cards which are to be used for the preparation of pay rolls andsegregating those which are duplicates of their immediate predecessors.It has been found in the field that men have been able to cause theinclusion in a pack of pay roll cards of a second or even a third cardshowing money due them. If these cards were allowed to pass r throughthe tabulator, fraudulent entries in the pay roll would result. By meansof visual inspection these entries could be located and appropriatecorrections made. Such a process would not, however, be guaranteed to beabsolutely free from errors due to the human element.

The system involving the present invention contemplates the arrangementof all cards pertaining to a single pay roll in' the sequential order ofthe employees identification numbers. Thus, all the cards having thesame identification numbers would be collected together and would occurin the pack sequentially. Those cards which differ from each other asregards employees identification number are considered to be acceptable,while of those which are alike in. their identification, one isacceptable and the others are not acceptable.

In this invention, the mechanism of Patent 2,044,119, issued June 16,1936, to William W. Lasker is adapted to control mechanism which willcause the separation of the cards in a pack into two groups, namely,those which are acceptable and those which are not acceptable.

Accordingly, the first object of this invention is to provide means toprevent the inclusion of non-acceptable cards in a group of cards.

Another object is to provide means to separate consecutive cards havingcommon designatory matter.

A further object is to provide means to cause all cards having differingdesignatory data to be segregated from all cards having identicaldesignatory data.

A still further object is to provide mechanism for separating from .asequentially arranged group of cards any card which is a duplicate ofits respective predecessor.

The present invention contemplates the combination of record sensingmeans, change-ofdesignation determining means, card transport- 1936,Serial No. 93,366

ing means, card guiding means, and means responsive to saidchange-of-designation determining means for controlling the action ofsaid card guiding means.

Other objects and structural details will be apparent from the followingdescription, when read in connection with the accompanying drawingswherein:

Figs. 1 and 1A together show a side elevation of the machine in stoppedposition with sensing chamber empty;

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic isometric view showing the card controlmechanism;

. Figs. 3 and 3A together show a sectional side elevation taken on theline 3-3 of Fig. 4;

Figs. 4 and 4A together show an elevation of the mechanism as seen fromthe rear of the machine, the left in Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is an exploded isometric View of certain of the essentialinstrumentalities common to the reference patent and the presentinvention.

The basic structure In the cited Lasker Patent 2,044,119, the well knownPowers tabulator is shown in the form in which it has been in public usefor a number of years. This machine is capable of feeding perforatedcards from a storage magazine to a sensing device which seeks out theperforations and causes the data thus portrayed to be transmitted to anadding mechanism. Also there is shown therein, a device for sensing achange-ofdesignation and mechanism for causing this change to initiate atotal. Since the operation of the mechanism in the present inventiondepends upon the change-of-designation sensing device, a brief summaryof the structure and operation of the mechanism of the above citedapplication will now be given. For convenience, elements which arecommon to this application and to the cited patent will bear thereference numerals of the latter. Certain other elements which are partof the structure of the reference patent, but which areonly incidentalto the present invention are illustrated, but not described, for thepurpose of showing the general construction of the machine.

In Figs. 1 and 1A hereof (Figs. 1, 5, 10, 20, 21 and 22 of thereference), are shown mechanisms, respectively, for feeding cards fromthe storage, magazine, for transporting the cards through the machine,for stopping the card While the perforations are being utilized forsetting the machine in accordance therewith, for releasing the 55previous settings, and for storing the cards after they have servedtheir purpose.

Card feeding A shaft 25 (Fig. 1) carries cam 268 (Fig. also Fig. 22 ofthe reference) which coacts with follower 261 to cause it to oscillatearm 265 about pivot 266 and by reason of connecting link 264 oscillatearm 263 and shaft 22 of the card feeding mechanism, which shaft isjournaled in frame I5 (Fig. l). A spring 210 tensioned be tween arm 263and a suitable anchor in frame I5 tends to maintain follower 261 againstcam 268. Fixed to shaft 22 is an upwardly extending arm 2I (Fig. 1 ofthe reference, Fig. 3A hereof) .at the upper end of which is .pivotedone end of picker link 20. The other, or forward end of link 20 ispivoted to block I3 of the picker mechanism. If shaft 25 be caused torotate, the high portion of cam 268 will cause arm 265, and the chain ofmechanism operatively connected thereto by link 264 to be actuated tomove picker block I8 rearwardly'and feed a card toward the transportingrolls. Journaled also in frame I5 are the shafts 90, 9|, I04 and I05 ofthe card transporting rolls.

Card stop Fixedly mounted on shaft 25 is cam 262 (Fig. 5 hereof and Fig.21 of the reference). This cam operates upon its follower 26I to rockarm 251 and pull link 255 downwardly against the tension of springs 244on the member 245 and thereby rock arm 254 and shaft 252. Fixedlymounted on shaft 252 is arm 25I, which pivotally supports the upper endof link 256. The lower end of this link is pivoted to lever 241 fixed ona rockable shaft 245. Lever 241 engages a recess 248 in member240 whichsupports card stop 236. Rotation of shaft 25 will turn the high portionof cam 262 so that link 255 is pulled downwardly, rocking shaft 252 andthe connected mechanism, thereby forcing member 240 and card stop 236downwardly and closing the card passage.

Card sensing The sensing device of the cited Patent 2,044,- 119,comprises a frame I66 (Fig. 3A) within which are assembled pins I14which are urged upwardly by springs I15. Pins I14 are arranged incolumns, each column having a locking slide I96 adjacent thereto. Eachslide I90 is provided with a slot and a locking tooth I88 correspondingto each adjacent pin I14. An extrusion I86 on each pin cooperates with atooth I88 to lock any pins which are elevated. Frame I66 is supported ona pair of eccentric and strap assemblies I83 and is guided forreciprocation by cylindrical guides I16 working upon posts I11 (Fig. 3).When shaft 25 turns, the eccentricity of the center member of assembliesI83 which are mounted thereon, causes frame I66 and its containedmechanism to be elevated. Above the frame I66 is a sensing chambercomprising two matched perforated plates I35 and I36, so ar ranged thatpins I14, the perforations in the plates and possible perforations incards which may rest between the plates are in exact register.

Data retaining Above the sensing device is a fixed assembly of pins I58(Figs. 3, 3A, and 5) urged downwardly by springs I60. The pins of thisassembly are arranged to register with the pins I14 of the reciprocatingassembly. Each pin I58 is provided with a lower extrusion 63 and anupper extrusion 322. Half of the pins I53 in a column are assembled withtheir extrusions I63 and 322 extending to the right, as viewed from thefront of the machine, while the other half have their extrusionsextending to the left. A pair of locking slides I6I is provided for eachcolumn of pins I58. These slides are adapted so that looking teeth I64engage the respective right and left extrusions I63 when pins I58 areraised. A pair of change-of-designation slides 32I is also provided foreach column of pins. These are so arranged that a cam 325 cooperateswith each extrusion 322 to actuate slides 32I Cam 52 (Fig. 20 of thereference and Fig. 1 hereof) is also fixedly mounted on shaft 25 andcoacts with arm 55 to elevate rod 51 to rock arm I664 and shaft I6I3.Fixed to shaft I6I3 is a pair of arms I652 (Figs. 3 and 5 hereof) whichsupport a bail IBII against which locking slides I6I are urged bysprings I54. When shaft 25 is rotated, the high portion of cam 52 willcause arm 55 to rock and elevate rod 51, which contacts the bottom ofarm 66i 4 causing it, shaft I6I3 and arms I6I2 to rock counterclockwise. This rocking of shaft "H3 and arms I6I2 forces bail I6 andlocking slides I6I to the right. Thus pins I58 are released and therebyconditioned to accept the reading of the next card.

Control by change-of-designation To the right of slide 32I in Fig. 3A(Fig. 10 of the reference patent) is a bail 338 supported by arms 3551which are fast on shaft 336. A manually settable interponent 335 isprovided. If this interponent is lowered, thus filling the gap betweenthe end of slide 32-I and hail 338, displacement of the slide will causebail 333, arm 331 and shaft 336 to rock and thereby actuate whateverinstrumentalities are connected thereto.

Operation of basic structure When a card enters the sensing chamber itcomes to rest against the set card stop 236, the reciprocating frame I66rises and the pins I14 enter perforations in plate I36. If any of thesepins I14 find perforations in the card they will pass therethrough asframe I66 continues to rise; the pins I14 which do not find perforationsbe ing held back by the obstruction afforded by the unperforated portionof the card. Further rise of frame I66 causes thepins which have foundperforations in the card to pass through the holes in the upper plateI35. Journaled in brackets I65 on frame I66 is shaft I95 and fixedthereon are arms I 34 and I91. A spring coiled around shaft I55 andsuitably anchored, urges this shaft in a clockwise direction. Rod I93passes through arms I94 and one end of thelinks I92, the op posite endof these links being operatively connected to slides I95 by rod I9I. Atabout the time that the raised pins I14 have passed through the hole inthe card, the follower I98 on arm I51 has been raised enough to clearfixed cam 7265], whereupon the spring on shaft I95 urges the associatedmechanism to cause the engagement of teeth I88 with the extrusions I86on the pins I14 which are elevated. Thus the record is locked in thesensing device.

As frame J66 continues to rise, carrying pins I14 which are locked withit, they will contact certain ones of pins I 58 and will cause these tobe raised until the locking teeth I64 in the slots of slide I6Isnapunder extrusions I63. Thus, the record is locked in the upper pinbox. As

the pins I58 rise, the upper extrusions 322 thereon Wipe against thefaces of the cams 323 on the 238 upon a bracket 2I0. Bracket 2I0' isfastened to a part of the reciprocatory sensing head. The other end oflever 201 (or that end which extends toward the rear of the machine) isbent off into a lug 2II, as-is shown in Fig. 3. The pin 204 is urgedupward by a light spring (not shown) From the foregoing, it is understodthat when the reciprocatory sensing head rises and no card is in thesensing chamber, the lever 20! will remain in the position shown, andear 2 will block lever I91, thus maintaining lever I9! in its retractedposition. This holds the locking slides i9ii ineffective. When, however,there is-a card in the sensing chamber and the reciprocatory sensinghead rises, the pin 204 contacts the card and is depressed, thereby,thus moving lever 201 clockwise. This lifts the lug 2 out .of the pathof lever I91, and permits locking slides I90 to lock those sensing pinswhich have found holes in the card.

The timed relation between eccentric I83 and cam 52 is such that theunlocking of slides I6I by the action of the cam occurs when frame I66is sufficiently close to the top of its travel that if two successivecards bear the same indicia, either in whole or in part, slides 'I6Iwill relock those pins I58 which are associated with the unchangedindicia. Hence, these pins I58 are not permitted to descend and theassociated slide 32l is not displaced. But if the indicia does change,pins I58 will descend since there is no pin I'I4 to hold them up, andslides 32I will be displaced. Such an event is termed achangeof-designation.

The mechanism of the invention In the present problem it is desired thatwhen the designatory matter changes card by card, the cards will bedeposited in one of two receptacles, but if the designatory matter doesnot change, that is, if two successive cards bear the same serialnumber, the second, or duplicate, will be deposited in the otherreceptacle. Advantage is taken of the motion of thechange-of-designation slide 32I to secure the desired result.

Card guiding mechanism Mechanism is provided for guiding the cards intothe proper receptacle. This mechanism comprises shutter 40I (Figs. 1 and2), shaft 402, arms 484 and 405, ear 406, link 401, arm 408, fol-. lower4l0, spring 4, cam 414, plate 4H5 (Figs. 3A and 4) and screw 411.Shutter 4! is fixedly mounted on shaft 402, which is journaled insuitable brackets 403 (Figs. 4 and 4A). Fixed to shaft 492 are two arms,respectively, 404 and 485. Arm 404 is substantially horizontal andextends rear- Wardly terminating in ear 406. Arm 455 extends downwardlyand its lower end pivotally supports the rearward end of link 40?. Arm408 pivoted at 409 in plate 416 supports the forward end of.

link 40'! and also follower 4I0. Spring 4 is anchored at one end to stud412 in link 40? and at the other end to anchor 4I3. Spring 4 urgesfollower 4I0 against cam 4I4 which is fixedly mounted on shaft 25. Plate4I6 is secured to frame I5 by suitable fastenings and is provided with atapped hole for receiving a shouldered screw 4I'I (Figs. 2 and 3A). Thisscrew is dis posed in a hole in arm 408 and provides means for limitingthe oscillatory motion of this arm and for preventing its lateraldisplacement. As shaft 25 turns the high spot M5 on cam 414 urgesfollower 410 and arm 408 clockwise, as seen in Fig. 3A, about pivot 409to pull link 40'! and rock shaft 402 and shutter 40! counter clockwise.This motion forces. ear 406 downwardly into position for latching, aswill now appear.

Latching mechanism Mechanism comprising arm 42I, link 422, latch 423 andspring 425 is provided for latching the above described mechanism. Arm42I is fixedly mounted on shaft 336 and pivotally supports a rearwardly(leftwardly in Fig. 1) extending link 422, the rearward end of which ispivotally supported by latch 423 which is pivoted at 424. Latch 423 isurged to latching position by a spring 425. Whenever, then, a change inthe serial number of the card, that is, the designatory matter, occurs,slide 32I is displaced, as has been described above, and shaft 336 isrocked. Thus, arm 42I is moved counter clockwise, link 422 is pulled andlatch 423 is removed from its effective position which is in engagementwith ear 405. Spring 425 is of strength sufficient to cause the returnof slides 32I to the position where they will be influenced by the nextsucceeding motion of a pin I58.

Card receptacles A receptacle 43I is provided for the so-called acceptedcards and another receptacle 432 is provided for the rejected cards.

Rejected card receptacle 432 is provided with gates 435 which are hingedat 436 and are urged to closed position against stops 431 by springs438. Thus, the rejected cards may be removed from their receptacle 432as desired by first removing the cards from receptacle 43I and thenpulling the other cards out through that receptacle. Gates 4.35 willyield to the pressure put on them in withdrawing the rejected cards andwill return to closed position under the action of springs 438 as soonas the cards are clear of the gates.

Card conveying I Mechanism is provided for conveying cards destined forreceptacle 43I. This mechanism consists of sprocket Wheels 44I (Fig. 4A)and 442, shaft 443, chain 444, rolls 445, and 446, shaft 448, arms 449and springs 450. Sprocket wheel 44l is fixed to feed roll shaft I04 andsprocket wheel 442 is fixedly mounted on shaft 443 which is journaled inbrackets 403, while chain 444 is continuous and envelops both sprocketwheels. Rolls 445 are fixed on shaft 443 and coact with spring urgedrolls 446 to convey the passing cards. Rolls 446 are mounted on shaft448 which is journaled in arms 449. Arms 449 are pivoted respectively onpins 452 in brackets 403 and are spring urged clockwise, as. viewed inFig. 3, by springs 450. Bail 45I (Figs. 3 and 4) journaled on pins 452supports a pair of guide fingers 453 which prevent cards being sensingchamber into which the feed rolls assothrown beyond the confine ofreceptacle 43l by the action of rolls 445,4.

Sw mmer e ati n In the commercial adaptation of the mechanism of thepresent invention certain preliminary operations are necessary. Cardseach bearing a perforated record of an employees serial number, or otherdesignatory data, must be prepared. This may be done by any of the wellknown methods and, therefore, need have no further consideration in thisdisclosure. The cards are then sorted toarrange them in the sequentialorder of the above mentioned designatory data. This presumably will bedone by a sorting machine of the general character of the well knownPowers sorting machine, which has been in public use for many years.Such a machine will arrange the cards in sequential order withduplicates, if any, next to each other. The machine of the presentinvention may then be utilized to segregate those cards which areduplicates. To that end, the cards are placed in the card magazine andinterponents 335 corresponding to the card columns in which thedesignatory data appears are set in effective position by themanipulation of members 321.

Let it be assumed that 'card picker I8 has been actuated by the rotationof shaft 25 and has moved a card from the magazine toward the ciatedwith shafts so and 94 have propelled it until it came to rest againstcard stop 236 which has, because of the rotation of shaft 25, been setin effective position. As the sensing mechanism is raised, under theinfluence of and because of the rotation of shaft 25, certain pins H4will find perforations in the. card, while the remaining pins will bedepressed because of the restraining action of the unperforated portionsof the card. At about the time when pins I'M have passed through suchholes as exist, arm I96, which moves as a part of the sensing mechanism,has been raised so that its follower [93 is clear of fixed cam 200. Asuitably situated spring then causes teeth I88 in slides I90 to engageextrusions 86 in the sides of those pins H4 which are elevated.

As those pins I'M which are locked continue to rise with the risingsensing mechanism assembly, they contact the bottom ends of certain pinsI58 and elevate them to a position such that their extrusions I63 arelocked by teeth I64 in the slots of slides ltfand their extrusions 322are at the top of the slots in slides 32L As extrusions 322 on the pinsassociated with the columns in which the designatory data occurs moveupwardly, they wipe the faces of the cams 3.23 in the slots in slides32| and, because interponent 335 is in effective position, bail 338,shaft 336 and shutter 45H are rocked to swing latch 423 clockwise andthus release ear 436. Spring 4H then acts to swing shutter 40! clockwiseand the card is propelled by rolls M5 and 446 into receptacle l3l.Shortly thereafter the high spot M5 on cam 414 contacts follower 4H] andthe mechanism associated therewith is actuated to rock shaft M32,shutter 4m and arm 494. This motion positions shutter ADI toguide a cardinto reject receptacle 332 and simultaneously swings ear 436 downwardlyuntil it is engaged by latch 423, thereby locking shutter 40! in cardrejecting position.

If the designatory data of the second. card is a duplicate of that ofthe first card, slide [6| will re-lock the, elevated pins [58 before.they have an opportunity to descend. Hence, there will be no motion ofthe change-of-designation slide and no consequent release of shutter40!. Therefore, the duplicate card will be conveyed to the reject reeptac e 4 2.-

If the designatory data of the third card is different from that of itspredecessor, the extrusions 322 on the elevated pins I58 will wipe thesurfaces of the cams 323 in the slots of the associated slides (52! whenthese pins 158 descend after being released by slide IGI. The Wiping ofthe cams by extrusions 322 will cause a lateral motion of slides 32f andthe actuation of the associated mechanism in the same manner as when thefirst card passed through the machine. Therefore, this card is passedinto the receptacle 43! which contains the accepted cards.

As the cards continue to be fed, the mechanism operates according to thedescription for handling the first and third cards or according to thatfor handling the second card, depending upon whether two successivecards are duplicates or not.

While I have described what I consider to be a highly desirableembodiment of my invention, it is obvious that many changes in formcould be made without departing from the spirit of my invention, and I,therefore, do not limit myself to the exact form herein shown anddescribed,

nor to anything less than the whole of my invention as hereinbefore setforth, and as hereinafter claimed.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a machine of the class described, the combination of sensing meansfor sensing a designating field of a punched card and capable o isensing a variety of different designation holepatterns, means forreceiving said hole-pattern sensing and retaining it for one machinecycle, means for detecting differences in pattern between successivecards fed to said sensing means, means for feeding cards to said sensingmeans and thence to one and the other of two receiving stations, adeflecting device normally latched in position to guide cards to one ofsaid receiving stations and urged to a position to guide them to theother of said stations, and means operable by said difference detectingmeans upon a lack of correspondence in the designation patterns of twosuccessive cards to unlatch said deflecting device.

2. In a machine of the class described, the combination of sensing meansfor sensing a designating field of a punched card and capable of sensinga variety of different designation holepatterns, a pattern-retainingdevice settable by said sensing means, means acting at every machinecycle to release the retained set-up in said retaining device to erasevthe pattern set therein, means for detecting differences in patternbetween successive cards fed to said sensing means, means for feedingcards to said sensing means and thence to one and the other of tworeceiving stations; a deflecting device normally latched in position toguide cards to one of said receiving stations and urged to a position toguide them to the other of said stations, and means operable by saiddifference detecting means upon a lack of correspondence in thedesignation patterns of two successive cards to unlatch said deflectingdevice.

3. In a machine of the class described, the combination of sensing meansfor sensing a designating fieldv of a punched card and capable ofsensing a variety of different designation holepatterns, means forreceiving said hole-pattern sensing and retaining it for one machinecycle, means for detecting difierences in pattern be- Stween successivecards fed to said sensing means,

means for feeding cards to said sensing means and thence to one and theother of two receiving stations, a deflecting device normally latched inposition to guide cards to one of said receiving stations and urged to aposition to guide them to the other of said stations, means operable bysaid difference detecting means upon a lack of correspondence in thedesignation patterns of two successive cards to unlatch said deflectingdevice, and machine operated means for restoring said deflector to itsnormal position.

4. In a machine of the class described, the combination of sensing meansfor sensing a designating field of a punched card and capable of sensinga variety of difierent designation holepatterns, a pattern-retainingdevice settable by said sensing means, means acting at every machinecycle to release the retained set-up in said retaining device to erasethe pattern set therein, means for detecting differences in patternbetween succeeding cards fed to said sensing means, means for feedingcards tosaid sensing means and thence to one and the other of tworeceiving stations, a deflecting device normally latched in position toguide cards to one of said receiving stations and urged to a position toguide them to the other of said stations, means operable by saiddifference detecting means upon a. lack of correspondence in thedesignation patterns of two successive cards to unlatch said deflectingdevice, and machine operated means for relatching said deflector.

WILLIAM W. LASKER.

